Optical connector and endoscope system

Abstract

Provided is an optical connector including: an SI-type light source side optical fiber which is disposed on the light source side and an SI-type light receiving side optical fiber which is disposed on the light receiving side. Both optical fibers are optically coupled to each other by disposing an end surface of the light source side optical fiber and an end surface of the light receiving side optical fiber so as to face each other. The light source side optical fiber and the receiving side optical fiber are attachable to and detachable from each other. The light source side optical fiber includes a taper portion in which the diameter of the core portion increases toward the end surface of the light source side optical fiber.

1 . An optical connector comprising:
 a step-index-type light source side optical fiber that is disposed on a light source side and includes a core portion with a constant refractive index; and a step-index-type light receiving side optical fiber that is disposed on a light receiving side and includes a core portion with a constant refractive index, with both optical fibers optically coupled to each other by disposing end surfaces of the light source side optical fiber and the light receiving side optical fiber so as to face each other,   wherein the light source side optical fiber and the light receiving side optical fiber are attachable to and detachable from each other, and   wherein the light source side optical fiber has a taper portion in which the diameter of the core portion increases toward the end surface of the light source side optical fiber.   
     
     
         2 . The optical connector according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the light receiving side optical fiber includes a taper portion in which the diameter of the core portion increases toward the end surface of the light receiving side optical fiber.   
     
     
         3 . The optical connector according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the cross-section of the core portion of the light receiving side optical fiber has a same shape and size.   
     
     
         4 . The optical connector according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the end surface of the light source side optical fiber and the end surface of the light receiving side optical fiber are disposed so as to face each other in a non-contact state while both optical fibers are optically coupled to each other.   
     
     
         5 . The optical connector according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the end surface of the light source side optical fiber and the end surface of the light receiving side optical fiber are disposed so as to face each other in a non-contact state while both optical fibers are optically coupled to each other.   
     
     
         6 . The optical connector according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the end surface of the light source side optical fiber and the end surface of the light receiving side optical fiber are disposed so as to face each other in a non-contact state while both optical fibers are optically coupled to each other.   
     
     
         7 . The optical connector according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the optical connector is capable of passing a light there-through, with the light having at least two different types of wavelengths.   
     
     
         8 . The optical connector according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the optical connector is capable of passing a light there-through, with the light having at least two different types of wavelengths.   
     
     
         9 . The optical connector according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the optical connector is capable of passing a light there-through, with the light having at least two different types of wavelengths.   
     
     
         10 . The optical connector according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the optical connector is capable of passing a white light there-through   
     
     
         11 . The optical connector according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the optical connector is capable of passing a white light there-through   
     
     
         12 . The optical connector according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the optical connector is capable of passing a white light there-through   
     
     
         13 . The optical connector according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the area of the core portion in the end surface of the light receiving side optical fiber is larger than the area of the core portion in the end surface of the light source side optical fiber.   
     
     
         14 . The optical connector according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the area of the core portion in the end surface of the light receiving side optical fiber is larger than the area of the core portion in the end surface of the light source side optical fiber.   
     
     
         15 . The optical connector according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the area of the core portion in the end surface of the light receiving side optical fiber is larger than the area of the core portion in the end surface of the light source side optical fiber.   
     
     
         16 . The optical connector according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the end surface of the core portion of the light receiving side optical fiber and the end surface of the core portion of the light source side optical fiber are disposed so as to face each other without excess or insufficient overlap thereof in a state where both optical fibers are optically coupled to each other.   
     
     
         17 . The optical connector according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the end surface of the core portion of the light receiving side optical fiber and the end surface of the core portion of the light source side optical fiber are disposed so as to face each other without excess or insufficient overlap thereof in a state where both optical fibers are optically coupled to each other.   
     
     
         18 . The optical connector according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the end surface of the core portion of the light receiving side optical fiber and the end surface of the core portion of the light soiree side optical fiber are disposed so as to face each other without excess or insufficient overlap thereof in a state where both optical fibers are optically coupled to each other.   
     
     
         19 . The optical connector according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the light source side optical fiber is in the range or the following conditional equation (1).
   0.5≦ L 1/ε1  (1)
 
   where L 1  shows the length of the taper portion of the light source side optical fiber and ε 1  shows the taper ratio of the light source side optical fiber.   
     
     
         20 . The optical connector according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the light receiving side optical fiber is in the range of the following conditional equation (2).
   0.5≦ L 2/ε2  (2)
 
   where L 2  shows the length of the taper portion of the light receiving side optical fiber and ε 2  shows the taper ratio of the light receiving side optical fiber.   
     
     
         21 . An endoscope system comprising:
 the optical connector according to  claim 1 ;   a light source; and   an endoscope body,   wherein a light flux output from the light source is transmitted to the endoscope body through the optical connector so that the light flux is output from the endoscope body.   
     
     
         22 . An endoscope system comprising:
 the optical connector according to  claim 2 ;   a light source; and   an endoscope body,   wherein a light flux output from the light source is transmitted to the endoscope body through the optical connector so that the light flux is output from the endoscope body.   
     
     
         23 . An endoscope system comprising:
 the optical connector according to  claim 3 ;   a light source; and   an endoscope body,   wherein a light flux output from the light source is transmitted to the endoscope body through the optical connector so that the light flux is output from the endoscope body.